TWAontheGo

We are looking for things to do that you don't find in the guide books. We leave on May 12 for India and leave India for Bhutan on April 28. Our trip includes:

Kaziranga National Park
Guwahati
Varanasi
Khajuraho
Orchha
Ranthambore Naitonal Park
Jaipur
Mandawa
Bikaner/Gajner Wildlife Sanctuary
Jaisalmer/Desert National Park
Jodhpur
Udaipur
Kochi
Thattekad/Dr. Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary
Munnar/Rajamalai Sanctuary
Topslip/Indira Gandhi Nat'l Park
Methupalayam
Ooty/Cairnhill Reserved Forest
Mysore/Cauvery River
Bangalore
Delhi
Keoladeo National Park
Agra

Cultrual items to see, museums, dance, places to eat, places for a relaxing drink or other, great view places, night life, shopping -- what did you do that the books don't tell you about.

Thanks for your input.

rhkkmk

one of the best and most interesting things we did in india was to spend an hour or more in a factory compound in sanganer, outside of jaipur, to observe the washing and drying of cloth that had been printed...

we were taken there by one of the owners from his shop on the main street....they also own a pottery factory which we visited....

how long will you be gone, you have a huge list??

Bethwhitwa

Akshardham as a new temple complex built in Delhi. It just opened in November and is NOT yet in the guidebooks. Plan to spend about 5 hours there. Simply amazing.

jacketwatch

To the OP: What about those dates? Either they are mixed up or you are staying in India for nearly 1 yr. If you mean March 12 I guess we will have to wait for a trip report.

Cicerone

You have a lot on your itinerary, in the heat of April and May, if anything I would cut out some places, slow down and actually see India rather than rushing through it trying to tick off a bunch of places on a list. If this were an itinerary for Europe for what appears to be 2-3 weeks, I would say it is way too much, and you are talking about India which has a very undeveloped transport infrastructure, and traveling in just about the hottest month there is. Personally I would take Khajuraho off, and would not spend any time in Bangalore unless you are using it as a transit point for Mysore. (Bangalore is an extremely green and pleasant city and I would live certainly there, but it does not hold a whole lot for the tourist. You could say the same for Palo Alto, California.)

As for places that “aren’t in the guidebooks” my suggestions would be two. First, there is virtually always a religious festival of some kind going on wherever you will be. Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsee and then the minor religions have numerous feast days and holidays. Ask at your hotel, your driver, your guide, and then ask if there is a temple, mosque, etc where you can go, or if you can be taken to see the celebrations. You will learn a lot about the local culture and hopefully get to meet some local people as well. There is almost always good food on offer as well, and there is usually music and sometimes dancing.
You will not find a Michelin-starred restaurant this way, but will have some memorable conversations and may get to observe some very rare rituals.

Second, get out of the car, away from your guide, and just walk. This is especially good to do in smaller towns and villages, and in the old town areas of places like Agra, Jodhpur and Jaipur where once you get away from the main tourists area (i.e., 100 meters away from the Taj Majal), you will find “real” Indian life. Udaipur is good for this as well, and the little alleyways of Varanasi are just fascinating, IMO. Delhi perhaps not so much, although I think the Khan Market area has possibilities, as it is not touristy and is a living neighborhood. If you can be open to exploration, getting lost, asking for directions and bravely walking into places like temples where you may not find any English speakers, but will find friendly people, and you will have the opportunity, IMO, to have some of the best one-on-one encounters with very friendly people who are happy to share their culture and especially their religion, which is the mainstay of their culture, with you. IMO India is about the sights yet, but it is really about the people, who have an amazing faith in the midst of apparent chaos and completely apparent poverty. This is another reason to parse your itinerary and take more time in each place, you won’t get to wander the alleys of Varanasi if you only have one night there....

John_Rambow

I'm with Cicerone. The best thing you can do to discover non-guidebook things is to give yourself a little time in each place. Most major sights per se are going to be in guide books, but it's more about having the time to take in the villages, neighborhoods, and streets you pass through, and the people you happen to meet.

I reluctantly agree about taking Bangalore off the list. Also, I think you have too many nature sanctuaries, just because they tend to take a while to get to and out of. And presumably you'll want to take a little time at them.

But if you are going to be here a year, you'll have plenty of time.

chimani

Waiting, like others, to find out exactly how much time you have in India.

Is it a year? In which case you should factor in the North West. If it is the normal 2 week trip then I am lost for wwords.

With respect, places you don't find in the guide books take effort and time (and usually some ability to rough it). Is that what you had in mind?

Do hope you return and tell us exactly how many days you have.

featherbrain

Keep you eyes peeled for weddings in the evenings, we saw at least 2 or 3 every evening and were always invited to join in and dance along the street.
When travelling through the countryside, especially around Orchha and Khajuraho look for the tell-tale smoke which tells you they are cutting sugarcane and making molasses right there in the field. They seem happy for you to watch the process.

hobbes

Leh and Ladakh if you are there in season

scifo

Yes, It is better to avoid some Indian destinations during the months of May - July. these destinations include some parts of North India such as Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, Bhopal etc. Chennai and hyderabad also have a hot climate during these periods. Other destinations are Okay.

TWAontheGo

Thanks for everyone's comments.

1) We left on March 12 (I wrote May 12 which was the day we left Bhutan.) and flew to Bhutan on April 28 -- 7 weeks.

2) Weather: March was great but by the first week of April it was hot. (I grew up in the deserts of Arizona & know hot.) I do not recommend traveling in India in the heat.

3) We enjoyed our guide however more than once we had our driver drop us somewhere and returned by pedi-cab, etc. We enjoy exploring on our own and getting lost every once in a while. I just remembered, we spent our first day in Delhi on our own and just had a fantastic time.

4) In Varanasi we came across an open air theater on the Ganges. We returned the next night to listen to folk music -- Nancy loved the music; after an hour or so I spent most my time people watching.

5) One evening in Jaipur we attened a parade -- what a "trip". This was incredibly fun.

6) In late April we caught a play (part in Hindi and part in English)in Delhi. Again, interesting and fun -- went with sister-in-law and brother who we met in Delhi on April 21.

7) Disagree with eliminate Khajuraho. If you go to India you must not miss Khajuraho -- best temples and grounds we visited.

8) Disagree on reducing number of Parks. The National Parks and guides are the best I have visited and Nancy's thought they were as good as Africa. (Next year I get to do Africa.)
We hope to return to India sometime in the next 18 months to visit more of the National Parks. We want to do all the Parks before they are "discovered" by the rest of the world.

10) For more information: See my posted trip reports.